


His

by LiinHaglund



Series: Possessive Pronouns [3]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Arranged Marriage, Canon? What Canon?, Cold War, Family Feels, Feelings, Incest, Jotunn | Frost Giant, Jötunheimr | Jotunheim, Jötunn Loki, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Making Love, Odin Needs A Reality Check, Out of Character, Outdoor Sex, Royalty, Scheming, Sibling Incest, Svartálfaheimr | Svartalfheim, Svartálfar | Svartalfar | Black Elves, Theft, Threesome - M/M/M, War, Weddings, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-07-18 08:40:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7308028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiinHaglund/pseuds/LiinHaglund
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unrest is brewing in the Nine Realms as Jotunheim's increased power threatens Asgard's superiority. War seems unavoidable, it's on the tip of everyone's tongues, someone just has to step up and declare it.</p><p>Asgard attempts to forge an alliance with Svartalfheim while Jotunheim takes an opportunity to steal a few things. Clearly Asgard doesn't need them if they're just gathering dust in a basement...</p><p>Odin might consider his move clever, but how will Thor manage in a different culture - with a species he never viewed as equal? How long can an Aesir prince stay among Dark Elves?</p><p>[Edited 2018-01-13]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Mother, The Daughter And The Son

**Author's Note:**

> Heedeth Thee the tags, or suffer the consequences. You are responsible for your own insecurities, I am not. 
> 
> I wouldn't recommend reading this without first reading the other two parts, but hey, your call. (I personally really like the first part of the series.)

Relations to Asgard were strained after the execution of its most famous warrior group, the borders all but closed off entirely even to royalty and negotiators. As far as Loki knew Frigga was the only one theoretically allowed to come to Jotunheim and he in turn was now the only one with a standing invitation to go to Asgard. Neither had visited the other after what had happened. Loki for fear of being trapped on Asgard – Frigga because she felt the thinly veiled hostility from Loki's birth parents could translate into eventual violence. Farbauti would probably claw her heart out on a bad day, so it was not entirely unfounded.

The frozen realm that was his birth place felt more like a home the more time he spent there. It helped that his birth parents had accepted him so readily, but what truly sealed the deal was how healthy and strong he felt in the cool climate. He had always been a weakling in Asgard, sickly and meek, and he had come to notice that even though he was small he was not weak. He did not need to rely on his magic to win fights, not now that he was eating better and sleeping well.

“Loki, stop daydreaming,” Byleist whispered in his ear. They were in a public audience, the three oldest children sitting on the floor besides the thrones. The slightly raised dais separated them from the crowd but the commoners were much closer than they ever got on Asgard. No one on Asgard would have gotten close enough to touch.

Loki blinked and looked up from the ice he had toyed with while his mind had strayed. It was a favorite thing for him to do now that he _could_ manipulate ice – just make it flow from one shape to another. “Sorry. What did I miss?” he whispered back.

Byleist pointed to a group of Light Elves. “There. What are the pale ones saying?”

Loki listened to their conversation while Laufey and Farbauti dealt with a tax matter.

“They are worried, saying Laufey is not known for mercy and Farbauti less so,” Loki whispered while he kept listening. “I cannot be sure, they are mostly referring to things they have discussed before.”

“How did you end up on Alfheim in the first place?” Helblindi asked, one of his large hands landing on a shoulder before gently stroking Loki's back. There was nothing really odd about it, everyone was touchy, but at the same time Loki knew Helblindi touched him differently from how he touched Byleist.

“Frigga exiled me to Alfheim after I lost my temper. She feared Odin would kill me.”

He had wondered at that. Frigga was always very quick to send him far away as a punishment. Even if she was the better parent of the two, Loki sometimes preferred Odin's outright dismissals. At least there was some honesty in it.

“For losing your temper?” Byleist looked appalled.

“Oh, it was no small thing I did. We are not talking a minor childish temper tantrum where some vases got broken. I was just starting to be allowed to judge petty cases in audiences as is the duty of a prince in Asgard. After listening to the fiftieth complaint from a farmer with the wit of a stillborn pig I was so fed up with it all that I walked down to where he stood, cut his head off and tossed the severed head into Odin's lap while shouting that he should weed out the inbred retards. Mother had me off the realm so fast I barely knew what was happening. I am told later Odin had been half asleep and had not been angered until several minutes after, but oh, was he _furious,_ ” Loki retold the story quietly as to not disturb the rest of the room. “Frey just laughed when I told him how I had ended up in his realm and suggested I stay until Odin calmed down.”

“You tossed a severed head in Odin's lap,” Laufey chuckled, drawing Loki's attention to the fact that his parents had quieted to listen to him. “Brilliant.”

“That is what _Thor_ said. He kept going on and on about there being hope for me to become a warrior yet.”

Helblindi scoffed, “as if violence solves everything.”

Laufey reached down and stroked Loki's hair. “I will remember not to let you deal with farmers,” he snickered. Trust Laufey to find such things amusing.

The guards motioned for the elves to go forward. The Light Elves looked even more out of place bowing. Loki could not remember any of them bowing even to Frey. Although, he was appointed ruler by Odin and not the local populace. They mostly ignored they had a ruler and left him to drink and fuck as he pleased. Loki had heard that there had been a Queen before, but no one had ever liked talking much about the time before they were under Asgard's rule.

“So, Light Elves have come to our realm,” Farbauti said pleasantly, with all the sweetness of a wolf sizing up prey.

“We seek passage into Svartalfheim,” the group's spokesperson said.

“I have sealed off all paths leading to Svartalfheim on the request of their Queen. What could a group of Light Elves possibly seek there?”

“We are all originally from Svartalfheim, we Light Elves simply chose a new home world. After the Dark Elves fell, after Asgard left them to die, we traded freely. Our peoples mixed and mingled. Until Odin conquered our realm, that is. We would like to be allowed to settle on Svartalfheim.”

“You are pale,” Farbauti pointed out. They were, too, but unlike pale humans – or Aesir – they were not a light pink but a blueish white. “The true dwellers of Svartalfheim have a much more pleasing color. They are also not keen on strangers.”

“We will take that risk.”

“Why?” Farbauti tapped a finger on her lower lip. “Why would you risk the wrath of a race more bent on warfare than you ever were?”

The elf who acted as spokesperson bowed low. “Asgard has seen fit to not keep Frey on the throne.”

“Who has replaced him?” Farbauti asked, though Loki knew that she was already aware of rumors that Tyr had been appointed ruler.

“Tyr,” the elf said bitterly.

Farbauti chuckled darkly. “Not to your liking? As you wish. My two oldest sons, Helblindi and Loki, will go with you. Once there, however, you will be on your own.”

Loki got up and stretched. “Well, best get it over with then.”

Helblindi rose too and a few guards stepped forward once he did. They left the cave without a backward glance, but they did not need to. The elves followed dutifully behind them.

The space ships were a Dark Elf design from the height of their power, but customized for Farbauti's army. The elves visibly hesitated before bracing themselves and boarding. Loki had been hesitant as well, the first time, remembering all the stories he had grown up with on Asgard.

The closeness Jotunheim had to Svartalfheim made the trip seem over in a heartbeat. The ships were built to be able to travel all over Yggdrasil, and beyond, such a short distance was nothing. Loki steered the ship easily despite only having piloted once before. The instruments all responded beautifully to his magic, almost needing nothing more than a thought.

He landed near the center of the capital of Svartalfheim, where the castle was in full swing of being restored to its former glory. Jotunheim had lent some of its best workers to help their allies and progress was swift. It was the last thing Alflyse had chosen to rebuild – putting her people's needs first.

Helblindi took the lead once they were out of the ship and Loki did not mind. He had been to the realm before only once, whereas Helblindi was often sent to oversee the workforce from Jotunheim.

The Light Elves had a wary hesitancy in their steps once off the ship and on the soil of their ancestral realm. They had evolved into slightly thinner and leaner beings than the Dark Elves. Tall for elves, but shorter than even Loki was in his Aesir skin. The Dark Elves were typically shorter still and more muscular.

Helblindi stopped on a lit circular marking on the ground, it glowed gently but was clearly visible in the dusk. They were soon met by Alflyse, who had been chosen by Farbauti to rule Svartalfheim's more minor and daily concerns. Much like Laufey on Jotunheim. It seemed to put the people at ease to have a familiar face oversee things. Farbauti could overrule either or both as she pleased, but Loki had never seen her do it.

“Why have you brought these creatures here?” Alflyse eyed the fairer elves suspiciously. Her clothes covered more skin than what women on Jotunheim favored, but she was nearly nude by Aesir standards.

“They wandered into our realm, and the High Queen granted their wish to be taken to yours,” Helblindi said smoothly in the local language. “They are not under our protection, and they have been made aware.”

Alflyse smirked wickedly. “Do send your mother my regards then.”

Loki and Helblindi gave her a curt nod in unison, then started walking back to the ship.

“You just said ' _kill them_ ',” Loki hissed.

“Did not,” Helblindi said with a grin, “but I may have heavily implied it.”

Loki sighed and climbed into the ship ahead of Helblindi. His chest felt tight, but Skadi would nurse from Farbauti if he was not nearby. He started the ship's engines. There was no sound, no stutter as they lifted off the ground.

Instead of getting close to the surface when they neared Jotunheim he circled the planet, careful not to get too close to the moons. Helblindi said nothing to object. It was startlingly white with streaks and patches of light blue. Blindingly bright on the side facing the star.

“Do you have a name for the star?” Loki asked.

“The Mother. We used to think it was a moon,” Helblindi said. “There is an old story from ancient times, about a mother and her two children who became separated. The mother travels the sky to search for them, but she can never reach them. The moons are called The Daughter and The Son.”

“Is there anything here that is _not_ about family?” Loki asked with a small smile. Really, it was exasperating.

“Very little,” Helblindi admitted. “It is difficult to survive alone for longer periods of time in such a harsh realm. Family has always meant safety and survival.”

“Is there life on the other planets?” Loki asked to change the topic.

“Yes, some of them.”

“Can we go?” he pleaded excitedly, suddenly eager to see what mysteries the other planets might hold.

“No,” Helblindi said firmly. “Dinner is in a little while, you are still on a diet.”

Loki growled a little, but he was not interested in arguing.

“We could go later,” Helblindi said. “Father would probably be a better guide, though.”

 

 


	2. Balder

Thor had watched as his parents announced Frigga's pregnancy just after he had returned from Jotunheim. He could not help but feel the finality of it then, and more so now when he held a screaming baby. Loki would never return, and this child was the replacement.

It could have been his replacement. If he had died on Jotunheim along with his friends then this babe would have inherited the crown. He had no doubt this was why his parents had chosen to have another child so late in life. Well, late for his father. Mother was much younger.

Thor smiled because it was expected and gave his little brother back to his mother. This boy would never be Loki. The baby would grow up to be much like himself, he could tell. The lock of golden hair and the blue eyes – Loki had never looked like that. He cursed himself for not seeing the obvious differences and dismissing the rumors.

While he was imprisoned on Jotunheim he had been visited by Loki's birth mother a few times. She had told him at length about the differences between Frost Giants and Aesir. He had come to realize how his brother must have suffered, and how little had been done to make him more comfortable.

Thor loved his parents, but he was not stupid. Loki had not been treated well. He did not doubt that Frigga had known even though she pleaded innocence in her every gesture. She had even stopped writing to him, he who had been her proclaimed favorite. Thor had not. He doubted Odin cared at all. Loki needed to know that Thor, at least, would not abandon him.

“What should I call my youngest brother?” he asked his mother.

“Balder,” she spoke proudly.

“Balder it is.”

“I hear Farbauti's child lived.”

“Aye. The babe looked healthy, if small.”

“Pity,” Frigga said with a smile toward her own newborn.

“Mother? Did you have anything to do with it?” Thor realized as he asked that it was probably a stupid question. Frigga and Loki were ruthless when it came to things and people they cared about. She might not be as obvious as Odin about her powers, but Frigga ruled the court with an iron fist.

“I wish I had, but no. She held my son prisoner.”

Thor raised his eyebrows at the singular. “And Loki is not?”

“Loki.” Frigga looked grim. “Odin took him in out of pity and political shrewdness. We all grew to like him, but he was never ours. He proved that when he chose them over us.”

“He is my brother, and they treat him well.” Thor sighed. “Probably better than we did. They gave us many chances to repent while we were imprisoned, yet we did not yield to their demands. I know Loki, an apology would have solved this. That my friends died... I wish it was not so, but we did nothing to give the Jotuns reason to release us.”

“You sound like a king already,” Frigga smiled, but only her lips moved.

“You must be tired, I shall leave you and my brother to get some rest.”

 

* * *

 

As soon as both Balder and Frigga had recovered enough from the birth there was a celebration in the new prince's honor.

The long stream of people leaving gifts took half a day to end. There were trinkets, weapons, toys, clothes, and everything in between. Thor paid little attention to it, but he smiled and nodded where appropriate.

A small number of Dark Elves led by their Queen, Alflyse, created a change of pace. She did not bow, but she smiled pleasantly toward all of them.

“My half-sister wished for me to present this to the new prince of Asgard,” Alflyse said and held a small box out, which Frigga took with her free hand. “It is nothing to worry about. The gem is enchanted, a simple spell that prevents injury. You may place it in any jewelry you prefer.”

“Thank you,” Frigga said surprised when she had briefly studied the large gemstone.

Alflyse gave a nod and swirled around. Her mostly sheer clothes did little to hide her shapes, and they were lovely shapes.

Once she was far away enough, Odin and Frigga expressed their surprise over Svartalfheim not acting hostile. Thor, however, remembered Farbauti's coronation all too clearly. The ships, the spheres representing the two realms.

“Who is her half-sister?” Thor asked.

“Perhaps the brain behind the throne,” Odin mused. “She seems to be more interested in her mirror than activities requiring thought.”

Frigga barely hid a grimace.

Thor shrugged, for all he knew his father could be correct.

 

* * *

 

According to Heimdall Jotunheim had received nearly half the population of Alfheim. To say that Tyr's reign was unpopular was a bit of an understatement.

Thor had been sent to Alfheim to try to get Tyr to stop scaring the elves away, but so far the man refused to listen to him. He was instead putting together troops to bring the elves back. Or perhaps simply bully the Jotuns, Thor assumed. He could not imagine the Jotuns reacting favorably to that.

“It is a disgrace unlike few others I have seen,” Frey said when Thor grew tired of Tyr and went to see his uncle. “They flee to Jotunheim, where before no Light Elf would have sat foot there voluntarily. Jotunheim and Svartalfheim have always had close relations, and both would sooner slaughter than ask questions. Things have changed... They would rather risk the wrath of Farbauti than stay and wait until Tyr's troops come for them.”

They were in a modest estate in Ljosalfgard. Frey had been stripped of his titles, but he did not seem bitter about that. Thor had not realized how deeply Frey cared for the elves. His visits had usually been short and to spend a few weeks recuperating between adventures.

“I hear from Heimdall that some make it to Midgard,” Thor said.

“Aye,” Frey hummed. “Most are transported to Svartalfheim by the Jotuns.”

“What becomes of them? Heimdall's gaze cannot make much sense of either Jotunheim or Svartalfheim.”

“We have received precious little communication. I have yet to hear of any massacres. Queen Alflyse is a very charming lady, but anyone who manage to take the throne in Svartalfheim for their own will have to be ruthless.”

“Have you spoken to the leader of Svartalfheim? This Alflyse?”

“It is no longer my place to do so,” Frey said with a touch of helplesness. “I have no say over anything, or I would have contacted her. We have had some communication in the past, but now...”

It was the type of helplessness he himself was familiar with. While he was still a prince, his role in court had been greatly diminished after his return from Jotunheim.

Thor missed Sif. He missed Hogun. He missed Fandral. He missed Volstagg. Most of all he missed his brother. Life was boring when he had no friends to go drinking with, no brother to tease and no people he liked enough to go on adventures with. In many ways he felt as if his youth was gone and in its place he was weighed down by the responsibilities of adulthood.

His father was as busy as he had ever been. His mother had her hands full with Balder. To top it all off he was being married off. To whom he did not yet know. And Loki, when Thor wrote to complain about all this, wrote back that Jotuns did not practice arranged marriages. Parents were expected to spend enough time with their children to keep them happy – Thor's were failing, Loki had written – and Loki also kept telling him about the youngest sister. Skadi. Apparently she was quite the beauty. It must have been a good year, because Balder was a very pretty child as well.

Loki was happy.

Thor had no idea what to make of that, but leaving his brother behind on Jotunheim had been worse than parting from Mjolnir.

“Have you heard of my marriage?” Thor asked his uncle.

Frey smiled gently and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I am sure all will be well in the end,” Frey said encouragingly. “Make the best of what you are given.”

“It does not bode well that no one will tell me whom I am to marry.”

“Ah,” Frey smirked, “well, we can rule out any Jotuns. Farbauti is married to Laufey, and while she would be allowed a second husband according to Jotun tradition, I doubt she would look twice at you.”

Thor smiled. “A small blessing.”

“It will likely be some noble woman from Vanaheim,” Frey surmised. “Fret not, it is only for life.”

“How come you never married?”

“Did you pay any attention to what happened during the Aesir-Vanir War?” Frey asked.

“Vanaheim lost.”

“As studious as ever,” Frey scoffed fondly. “My father, the King, was an arrogant bastard. He made many political blunders, the biggest I fear was to insult the King of Jotunheim and then to demand his aid when Odin attacked. I think you can guess that he was not best pleased with my father.”

Thor nodded. Jotuns were proud, even if they were immune to civilized behavior.

“The King of Jotunheim and his elite forces did arrive on the battlefield when my father fought a battle against the Aesir. A young Odin who was much like you was our enemy. They came from behind our ranks, as an ally would, and no one stopped the Jotun King from reaching my father. No one suspected foul play, but one does not insult a King of any realm and escape retribution.”

“He pulled his troops,” Thor guessed.

“They never engaged, no, but this was a Mage King. He turned my father into a pig, and all Vanir banners changed so that a pig was depicted on them.” Frey sighed. “Of course, the fighting stopped, the Jotuns returned to their realm, and the Aesir had a good laugh.”

“Was your father stuck like that?”

“No. The spell ended hours later, but by then Aesir soldiers had decided to have pig for dinner. They were rather aghast to find fingers and toes on their plates come morning. Anyway, you asked why I never married? My sister, Frigga, was taken by Odin as his bride. I was sent here, to rule Alfheim, to make sure I could not return and start a fuss on Vanaheim. I was, _am_ , the legitimate heir to the throne.” Frey paused. “If I am not to be King, then why should I marry? Why continue the line?”

“Mother never spoke of how they had married,” Thor said quietly.

“Few women enjoy talking about being raped,” Frey laughed bitterly.

Thor looked incredulously at him.

“Surely you did not think they married for love?”

“But rape?”

“Asgard's court hated her for centuries because she used spells to remain barren. Odin struck a deal with her that he would not ask her to share his bed if she gave him an heir. I think in part taking Loki was because Odin wanted a back up in case something happened to you.”

“But Balder?”

“If you had been lost on Jotunheim, there would be no heir. The deal still stands.”

Thor nodded slowly.

When he became king, he would outlaw these types of marriages.

If he became king at all.

 

 


	3. The Naming Ceremony

Svartalfheim was similar to Jotunheim, but had a milder climate and was never fully covered in snow and ice. Regions of it had harsh winters that bordered on Jotunheim's climate, but most of it was evenly tempered throughout the year. It had undoubtedly helped the elves develop their technology, since they were never busy with mere survival.

The thick woods, the barren dusty plains, the high mountains and the deep lakes reminded Farbauti of home. The architecture was not as foreign as it should be, with the close ties between the realms.

Alflyse and Farbauti had forged the alliance between Jotunheim and Svartalfheim because both dark-skinned races had similar mindsets. Neither would bow to Asgard, neither would be reduced to be insignificant in the minds of the other races throughout the Nine Realms. However, the foundation of it was forged long before they were even born.

“It is a good idea, would you not agree?” Alflyse asked after laying out her idea of marrying a royal prince to secure her hold over the Dark Elf court.

“Are you _certain_?” Farbauti asked her friend. Sister if one chose to honor their blood bond. She held her young daughter close to her chest. The small child was not the strongest Farbauti had given birth to, but the girl would live and she would grow. There was no telling yet if the weakness would remain. Her own mother had worried because Farbauti had been such a small babe, but she had proven them all wrong in their concerns. It was much too early to tell.

“He is certainly not awful to look at. Loki speaks well of him, and that boy of yours seems to read people well.”

“They are brothers, of course he would speak well of him. He even spoke well of his second mother until it became clear he had no idea how a parent was supposed to act.”

“Ah. True. I need to marry eventually. It will not be an actual marriage, but the Aesir will never know the difference. I've told Mirka, but apart from him – and yourself – no one knows. It had advantages, and the council will buy it. Marrying gives me a more solid claim to Svartalfheim's throne, especially if I have children who are not out of wedlock. Old-fashioned ideas, perhaps, but our culture survived the civil war and it would be stupid to think it will vanish over a night. We value strength and a warrior prince will be perfect, even if he is from another realm.”

Farbauti nodded. “I will support you, but hold off on getting pregnant until the war is over. Thor is not... mature, nor is he very keen on using his mind.”

 

“True.”

“How are the Light Elves faring? I hear they still live, which I must say I was not expecting.”

“They may have abandoned our ways, but their skills are valued.” Alflyse grinned and shrugged. “Some of us do not mind bedding them either. Besides, they have sworn loyalty to me. The numbers arriving is going to be a problem, my people have started to grumble even though they are hidden away in previously unpopulated areas. Are there even any left on Alfheim?”

“We estimate about half the population fled via Jotunheim. Some just used the portals as a stepping stone and have gone to Midgard. I suspect those will return to Alfheim once everything settles.”

Laufey had grumbled about that, but as far as everyone knew the Light Elves would not harm the humans. Nor were humans easily persuaded to risk life or limb for a strange species.

“I hold no love for our pale cousins, but in this case I do not blame them,” Alflyse said. “Tyr is treating them like slaves from what they have told me and my spies. A terrible fate for any race.”

“What I do not understand,” Farbauti muttered, “is why Asgard removed Frey. He was worthless as a ruler, but at least he did not alienate the local population. It would have made more sense to keep him.”

Alflyse smirked. “That I have an answer to. They are building the armies up. Trying at any rate. It gave them a reason to shake things up when Frey spoke against Odin. On the positive side, this will weaken Asgard.”

“What did Frey oppose Odin on?”

“Your son, once the news reached his ears. He made it clear he did not approve of stealing another's child. It is as much a crime among elves as it is among giants.”

“Muspelheim suggested that Asgard was building up its army a while back, but our spy in Asgard's court has no access to military planning.”

“It makes sense, they feel threatened. They almost lost their crown prince.”

“And now you will steal him.”

“Tell me I am brilliant.”

Farbauti grinned. “You are brilliant, half-sister.” And Alflyse was brilliant, if a bit overconfident.

“Father would have been proud of us,” Alflyse said smugly.

“He would have killed us both for taking so much power for ourselves,” Farbauti corrected. She had thankfully never met the man in person before he died. Her mother's husband had gladly accepted her as his own and that was a good thing as far as she was concerned.

“Ah, yes, there is that little detail. Should we go back to your frozen realm and name your daughter?”

Farbauti nodded. “Mm. We should, it is about time now.”

“My son will remain here,” Alflyse said. “I know Laufey was hoping to meet him, but he will have to wait. That boy is stuck in some sort of experiment and nothing short of a blade to the throat will move him.”

“Byleist thought he was a bit eccentric,” Farbauti snorted.

“Just 'a bit'?” Alflyse huffed.

 

* * *

 

The naming ceremony for her youngest, and only living, daughter was a quiet affair. The girl was now the age she should have been, had she been born when most babes are. The gathered family members stayed in the background while she said the words of the spell that placed the markings on her child and spoke the name she had chosen.

“Skadi.”

She took time to inspect her handiwork. Her bond with the little one was not strong. It had happened before, with another of her children, but not because she had been too injured to even hold the child after the birth.

Laufey took the small baby when she handed the child over and the act claimed her as his. If she had chosen another husband then perhaps he would have refused, but Laufey did not only love her, he loved their children without thought to their physical flaws. Laufey cooed at Skadi before he handed the girl to Helblindi, who stroked her head to feel the thin lines before he handed her to Byleist.

Byleist was very careful when handling his sister and looked grateful to be able to pass the small girl to Loki. He was last to hold her because he had a special bond to her. She was glad he had chosen to do what he had, even if she never would have guessed he would have.

“Should anything happen to me, you are her caretaker,” she told Loki. Useless words when he had already made that choice once, but making it official gave him more ties to the family.

Loki smiled and nodded.

“Helblindi,” Farbauti said, “you are the oldest son. Should anything happen to your father, you are responsible for all your younger siblings in his stead.”

Helblindi nodded, as he had done many times before.

Loki walked up to her and held the babe out, and she took her daughter back with a smile. Alflyse came up to them and kissed Skadi's head.

“If I ever hear anyone say that giving birth to runts is easy work I will kill them,” Farbauti whispered to Skadi.

“I do like being a man,” Laufey smirked.

She snorted. “You would never have been anything other than pregnant.”

“You have an odd taste in names,” Loki said.

“I was born to a family of hunters. We always give names that makes our enemies wonder what horrors we must have done,” she answered. “What would you have named a child after?”

“A flower?”

She ruffled his hair. “Where is the mystery in that?”

They walked out to the throne room as a group. There was to be an announcement, as there had been in one way or the other for all her children. Once they reached the throne room she walked up to the raised dais where the thrones were.

The gathered army officers and clan leaders were silent. Once the royal family had lined up Farbauti held the baby over her head and the whole room kneeled.

“This is Skadi, my daughter,” she told everyone gathered.

They all rose up, and Farbauti held her daughter to her chest. They repeated the ceremony they had done in privacy before. By all means they could skip the private ceremony, it was only there in case someone refused their responsibilities. A royal family should always show a united front.

 

 


	4. A Complicated Relationship

Loki laughed while he read a letter from Thor. He was laying down in the nest pit and held the letter above his face with one hand. “Thor is getting married, and he does not know to who. Odin refuses to tell him. Brilliant.”

Skadi got bored with her toy and crawled to him. He smiled at her while she attached herself to one of his nipples. She was much more fond of him than she was of Farbauti. Farbauti had told him that she would appreciate it if he helped, but that the choice was his. For his part Loki did not mind much. Sure, he was not flat as a board anymore, but for all the milk they seemed to contain his breasts were still small.

No one had mocked him yet anyway. And Skadi was a sweet girl. And really, it was nice to not be confined to male body standards that he would inevitably fail to emulate.

“Aesir are stupid,” Byleist said. “How do you know you love someone if you have not even met them?”

“An arranged marriage is not about love, it is just politics. You marry your children off to people you want alliances with. Usually if two nobles want to unite their houses they will marry a son from one house to a daughter of the other. No royal prince expect to get a _choice_ , but knowing who would have no doubt been a nice thing.”

“We do not usually practice that here,” Farbauti said. “There have been exceptions, but the one getting married has to agree.”

“Frigga said the only good that came out of a marriage was children.”

He moved Skadi from one breast to the other when she whined because there was no more milk. She sometimes forgot how to solve a problem she was experiencing, but she was a tiny baby and it was easy to remember to be patient. He stroked her back while she sucked as if her life depended on it. She had an appetite that would rival an adult Aesir, but Farbauti seemed to think she was feeding too little.

Shoving food down children's throats was apparently the current fashion on Jotunheim.

“Speaking of relationships,” Farbauti said quietly, “what is between you and Helblindi?”

“He is in love, and not completely shy about it,” Loki answered easily.

“I know that,” Farbauti said with a smile.

Byleist made a face suggesting it was painfully obvious. It was, but then again it was also not entirely there all the time. Helblindi was a strange mix of overconfidence and cautiousness. Unlike Laufey who had so much confidence in every move he made it was a miracle he was aware of his own mortality.

“I am not sure,” Loki said hesitantly. He wanted to, but he was also worried.

“You like him,” Byleist said. “I can tell.”

“I do like him. Liking is not the same as loving, though.”

“It takes time for some,” Farbauti said. “Perhaps you should give it a try. Just be honest with him.”

“Asgard has pretty stern laws about incest.”

“Asgard can go fuck a troll horde. It is not illegal here. Not common these days, but it is not a problem. You two will obviously not have offspring together.”

“If he _was not_ our brother, would you?” Byleist asked curiously. “I mean, if he was just living here. It is just the blood ties that bother you, right?”

“Maybe.” Skadi was done nursing and sat up on his belly while he continued to lay flat on his back. “I am still not over how mobile she is.”

“Aesir and humans have helpless and underdeveloped babies. We are neither Aesir nor human. She was premature though, this is more like how a normal baby should be. You were strong enough, just small.”

“Weird.” At least it saved him the trouble of making her burp. She managed most such things alone, but she still needed to be supervised at all times. She was still prone to put random things in her mouth, or shove her face into the furs so that she could barely breathe.

Laufey walked in with Helblindi in tow. They were laughing about something and shoving each other. Their relationship was full of highs and lows. When they fought they held nothing back, but when they were on good terms it was all laughter and hugs.

A few steps behind them came one of the healers. “Loki,” the woman said.

“Yes?” he said without rising. He was comfortable and Skadi was still sitting on his belly. She was cute and cuddly and happy.

The healer held a jar in her hands, and she raised it a little so that he noticed. “It is your first time nursing, we thought you might be sore.”

“Oh. I guess? I figured that would be normal.”

“You might as well look him over, the boy is not in the habit of listening to his body's complaints,” Farbauti said. She walked over and picked Skadi up. For her part Skadi made nonsense noises, but cuddled close to her mother with no objection. She was always the most amenable after being fed.

Loki raised a brow when the healer sat down where Skadi had been, but did not object. Her fingers were cold against his skin, but it was not uncomfortable. She rubbed the salve she had in the jar over his chest. It was not exciting in the least, he had never been attracted to women.

She eased off him as she examined the rest of his body. “A bit underdeveloped, perhaps,” she remarked.

“Starving for hundreds of years will do that,” Laufey muttered.

“Which is mostly resolved,” the healer noted. “He will need another few years of steady eating to make sure the bones are thick enough before he fully turns into an adult.”

“I always do love it when people talk over my head,” Loki said sarcastically.

“I would not tell Skadi how to handle growing pains either. Your parents are still responsible for you,” the healer said with a fond smile. She patted his cheek. “You are still breastfeeding. Do you prefer to continue?”

“Maybe. I do not really mind. I kind of expected more backlash.”

“A strain on your body?”

“No, I meant what people think about it.”

“I would kill anyone who even breathed wrong about it,” Farbauti said matter-of-factly. He did not particularly doubt her.

“Why did you do it, then?” Laufey asked.

“I figured I was the least busy?” Loki said quietly.

The healer shook her head. “My main reason for asking is that if you do not wish to continue then now is a good time to stop, it has only been a few months. If we give you more potions than the one you have had, you will see more pronounced changes to your body.”

She painted curves in the air and Loki nodded that he understood.

“It is reversible, either way,” the healer assured.

“I can confirm that,” Laufey said with a grin. “I nursed you.”

“I will support any choice you make,” Farbauti said. “Choose for yourself, not for me. There is no risk involved for either of us. Skadi will get used to it if she only has to feed from me.”

“Think about it, sweetie,” the healer said with a wink, then started to leave. “You know where to find us.”

Loki waved goodbye with an unenthusiastic gesture. Unfortunately he was still on a damned diet and everyone gathering meant that they were about to have another meal. At times it felt like all he did was eat. Loki rose and playfully shoved Helblindi when he walked past his older sibling.

“Thor is getting married,” he said to distract Helblindi from retaliating.

“What do I care about Thor?” Helblindi asked. He grabbed Loki and effortlessly hefted him up to carry him like an errant child.

“He has no idea who his bride will be,” Loki snickered, trying not to.

“I really do care nothing about it,” Helblindi maintained.

“You are just cranky that I like him better,” Loki teased.

“Actually, my little wolf cub might be cranky about the healer flirting with you,” Laufey said from half a step behind them.

Loki noticed they were on the way to a dining hall with several others gathered. Both his parents were very social. Loki did not mind, but he preferred to handle any personal business alone.

For all that casual sex really did not bother him, relationships had always been something he had avoided like the plague. Now here he was, unsure if he should pursue a relationship with his _brother_ when the last person he had slept with was his _father_. Which had still been fantastic. Less war and more sex would have made Asgard a happier place. He was starting to sound like Frey.

“Could we eat alone, Helblindi?” Loki asked hesitantly. He might as well get it over with.

“What for?”

Loki rubbed his face, willing to curse every stubborn brother he had. As it turned out, he had quite the collection of those, what with Laufey having sired bastards all over the realms. “We need to settle some things. Alone.”

“Go,” Laufey ordered with a shooing motion. “Spare us the sulking when he dumps you for that healer girl.”

Loki tried to swat Laufey, but he easily stepped aside and Loki was still in Helblindi's arms and unable to follow.

Suddenly Laufey laughed. “The kitten and the cub,” he said grandly.

“Stop teasing them,” Farbauti scolded.

“ _My_ babies,” Laufey said, as if that gave him the right. It probably did, Loki mused, in his father's head at least.

“I thought it was a myth that male Frost Giants could give birth,” Loki said cheekily, pointedly using Asgard's pet name for their species.

“We are not born, we emerge from the ice,” Helblindi said, referring to another myth.

“Wait, was there not a Queen called Ice?” Loki suddenly realized how that myth might have come to be. Born of the ice, or born of _Ice_...?

“She ate her kids, in pots with lids,” Byleist singsonged happily.

“That was your _grandmother_ , you know, and there were no lids on the pots,” Laufey told Byleist.

Helblindi kept his hold on Loki, but took a left at the closest fork in the tunnel, which thankfully ended the talk about eating children. They were both quiet until they were sitting with bowls of food in a small room, then they were quiet for even longer while they ate. The ever-present guards looked bored to death.

Loki thought back to when he had first discovered that he was Jotun, when Laufey had sent him to Helblindi. To the very first time he had sat foot on Jotunheim and Helblindi had showed him around. Unlike Laufey, who had a much more mercurial mood, Helblindi had always been a calm in the storm.

Well, unless you got him going. Once he let go of it, his temper easily matched Laufey's. Thankfully Laufey was the only target so far.

“You don't love me like a brother,” Loki said softly, almost afraid to make the wrong move and lose his friend. Because Helblindi was his friend, and he needed him. He did not need a steady lover.

“I did when you were little,” Helblindi said in a quiet voice, “but not now, no.”

“Mother thinks I should be with you to see if I fall for you. Everything is just so messed up and confusing and I can never really trust myself to think straight.”

Helblindi leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips, which was something they often did. “You worry too much.”

“I worry I will end up hurting you and then you will hate me.” Loki fiddled with his hair.

“You are so young sometimes. If it does end up not working out then it does not have to be the end of the world. As long as we are honest to each other there is no need for it to cause rifts between us. We will still be brothers even if you wake up one day to the knowledge that I will never be what you want.”

Loki nodded, he scooted a little closer so that their arms touched.

“I like you, I always did like you,” Loki said quietly.

“The way you like Thor?”

“No, but not how people describe being in love feels either,” Loki admitted. He might be willing to try, but the odds were against it working out.

Helblindi huffed and shook his head. “You mean the Aesir? What do they know, if they marry people they have never met based on what will be more profitable?”

Loki smiled. “You make a good point.”

“Will you give me a chance?”

“Yes, I suppose I will.”

“Good. It means we need to agree about boundaries though.”

“Like no flirting?” Loki jested.

Helblindi shook his head. “Be serious. Personally, I would not mind flirting if I knew they were not competition.”

Loki bit his lower lip. “Women never will be, I never felt anything for a woman, not in a sexual way.”

Helblindi nodded. He pulled Loki into a hug, which was kind of weird when they were both sitting on the floor. Helblindi was bigger and stronger, which should perhaps be threatening, but it made Loki feel safe. He almost wanted be clingy and whiny and ask a million questions just to get reassurance, but he kept quiet because that meant he was afraid to lose something that had barely begun. It meant he liked Helblindi more than he should.

 

* * *

 

“I want to be with you,” Byleist told Farbauti while they had their evening meal. Which Loki still could not reconcile with breakfast, but clearly was. “Will you sit on the throne tonight?”

Farbauti nodded. “Yes, I will hold the audiences.”

Loki was used to being a royal child, which often meant that one or both parents were busy, away or otherwise unavailable. This never seemed the case on Jotunheim. If Laufey was busy there was always Farbauti, or Helblindi. The three of them shared duties seamlessly, and it made a difference. He felt seen and heard, and he had no idea how he had survived before.

He wondered what it would have been like, growing up and never being told to shut up, be quiet and stay out of sight. All his life had essentially been spent being told no, or feeling horribly alone because he messed up and was exiled. That Byleist expected to be allowed to come with just because he wanted to... Loki would have killed for that.

“I will be torturing the pilots,” Laufey said. “Best get them fully trained as soon as possible.”

Much to Laufey's growing annoyance, Loki's ease with flying the ships was not commonplace. People assumed he had training from Asgard, but he did not, the ships just seemed to answer to his magic as if they had been made specifically for him. Which was partially true since they had actually been made for Farbauti and Laufey.

“Ooh, I have the night off from official business then,” Helblindi noted with a grin.

“Can I come with you, or do you want to be alone?” Loki asked. Not having responsibilities made him twitchy. Oh sure, he was expected to look after his younger siblings if no one else could, but that was it. Thor was a lot more trouble than Byleist and Thor was _older_ than Loki. He missed Thor sometimes. At least now they had settled on writing letters to each other.

“If you want,” Helblindi answered.

“As if he would ever not want you around, kitten,” Laufey teased. “It is a pity you are so shy or I would have loved to watch.”

Loki blushed, as if the mere mention of being shy was enough to set him off. He was never considered shy on Asgard. Discreet, certainly, but not shy.

“He will get over it eventually,” Farbauti said.

“Mother!” Loki exclaimed. He felt he should not be as surprised with how often Laufey and Farbauti fucked. Clearly modesty meant nothing here.

She just laughed, but he did not miss that she liked it when he called her mother.

Loki gave Skadi a little bit of fruit to taste. She looked very skeptical while she chewed, but she demanded more right after she had swallowed.

“I can take her today,” Farbauti said, “so you can be alone.”

Loki blushed again. On one hand, it would be nice to not have her around, but on the other he knew he would miss her. She was sweet. “If you had told me a few years ago that I would willingly care for a toddler I would have suggested laying off on the liquor.”

“You are doing a fantastic job for a first time mother,” Laufey teased.

“Don't be ridiculous – I gave birth to a horse.”

“I thought that was just a story,” Byleist said shocked. “Did it hurt?”

Loki smirked.

“He is joking,” Farbauti said.

“Killjoy.”

 

* * *

 

They walked around the cave leisurely, which reminded Loki of his first visit to Jotunheim. Well, almost, Helblindi had not been quite so touchy back then.

“The first time I was here, you gave me tea. Was that a test?” Loki asked cautiously. He was not sure if he wanted to know, but he suspected the beverage would have killed him if he truly had been Aesir.

Helblindi nodded. “It was. You were not cold when you came inside and I could not smell Aesir. The cold should have left you with hypothermia. The group you arrived with claimed you turned blue when you were touched. It was why Laufey put a hand on your head during the ceremony.”

“I thought he was going to kill me. A blood sacrifice or some such,” Loki admitted. “So you knew all along?”

“That you were one of us?” Helblindi hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, we were sure that first time. If you know what to look for it was obvious. When the spell came off is when we knew for sure that you were... well, family. Before that we thought there was a small chance you were from a community on another realm. Very small, but there, and we did not want to start a fuss with Asgard if we were not sure. Mother was so furious when we told her. I am glad I did not tell her when you came to see me, it took both me and father to convince her smashing Asgard to pieces in a blind rage was not a good plan.”

They ended up outside, the stars and moons casting an eerie light on the landscape. There was no aurora that night, but some nights they were very pronounced. It was cold and somewhat barren around the city ruins, but it was beautiful. Loki walked closer, close enough that they touched.

“Do you ever get tired of being the reasonable one?”

“ _That_ is mother's role. You just compare me to father, and while he is wickedly clever he also acts more like a crown prince than a king, still. Mother has always been right in that he needs someone to hold his leash.”

Helblindi led him past a building housing a type of wolf-like animals. They whined and wagged their fluffy tails when they spotted Helblindi.

“Are they friendly?” Loki asked.

“Yes. We use them in the army. They help sniff things out when needed, but mostly they serve as a way for the soldiers to have something to care for. New recruits away from home for the first time spend their first months just running and caring for them, that way they ease into being here.”

“Do you like the army?”

“No. Father made me join as soon as I was old enough. It was before he really figured fatherhood out. I doubt he would have done it now. Or perhaps he would have. Mother is more of a warrior, but never let it be said Laufey passed up on a chance to beat someone senseless just for fun. He has been the best warrior in the army since he was your age.”

“Have you told him lately you would rather quit?”

Helblindi snorted. “You do not truly understand, do you?” he asked softly. “The way things happened, when Asgard killed all the children – killed our siblings – we lost more than family members. We lost throne heirs. I have no choice. If something happens... Byleist is too young, you are too young and you will have a hard time staying on the throne if someone decides to overthrow you. The other bastards, well, they are neither interested in ruling nor very cut out for it.”

Loki looked Helblindi over. He looked resigned more than anything else.

“Varg and Gaupe rule Thrymheim.”

“Varg and I never got along.”

“I never wanted a throne,” Loki said quietly. “I never liked how f-, sorry, how Odin never had time to even look at us sometimes.”

Helblindi placed an arm around his shoulders. “It is alright, you know. I understand the conflict in your head. And I could say the same. Laufey never took much time off to spend with me when I was young. We made up only after I became an adult, and only after a truly epic argument, before that we could not stand each other.”

“You keep saying that, both of you, but... I just see you get along. Fights aside.”

“It was a _long_ time ago.” Helblindi waved towards the open air wolf pens outside. “Before the war, I brought home one cub for each child.”

“What happened to them?”

“They grew old and died,” Helblindi said with a shrug. “They live about two hundred years as lazy household pets. Byleist could use a pet, he is old enough. Father has a thing for soft furry animals, like cats and whatnot.”

“I noticed. He transformed my horse into a bunny when he came to Asgard with the merchants.”

Helblindi sighed. “I swear, he _is_ capable of acting like an adult.”

“Sure,” Loki grinned. They were past the last structure in the direction they were headed. “Where are we going?”

Helblindi pointed out the small lake. “I figured we could swim.”

“You have me all alone, far away from anyone who might hear me scream, and you want to swim?” Loki asked suspiciously.

“The Queen's Guard also protect the royal children,” Helblindi pointed up. “Trust me, they will hear you scream.”

Loki rolled his eyes at Helblindi's assurances. “ _Blind_.”

“What?”

“Do you want to fuck or not?”

“Yes, but -”

“I haven't been a virgin for centuries. I prefer to not have an audience, however.”

He was used to cajoling his bed partners, but mostly because none of them wanted to be found out being with another man. Loki tackled Helblindi so that they tumbled into the snow. They wrestled, Helblindi easily pinning him down on his back. Loki laughed and wrapped his legs around Helblindi's hips.

“Come on, I want to feel you.”

He yelped when he was bitten, but then squirmed after the initial shock left him and he felt his cock swell and throb.

“How brave are you?” Helblindi asked, mischief clear on his face.

Loki raised an eyebrow. “A bit.”

“Close your eyes,” his older brother instructed.

Loki felt cold ice at his entrance and relaxed, even as he felt his insides stretch wide around the ice. It felt good and he wanted it deeper. His eyes flew open when he felt Helblindi's pelvis press against him and he realized that it was not something conjured but something covered.

“Too much?”

Loki laughed. “No.”

The thin layer of ice melted, gave way to the feel of flesh.

“Why is it that I can take so much? In Asgard there was always the need for oil and...” Loki trailed off, his fingers traced his brother's chest and he gently raked his claws over Helblindi's skin.

Helblindi smirked. “You should touch yourself sometime. We are already slick enough.”

The first thrust was gentle, followed by a soft kiss. It followed a lazy rhythm after that, of slow and gentle, kisses and caresses. Helblindi worked with his body's spasms, letting Loki's body set the pace.

“Still.”

 

 


	5. Parenting Idiots

Laufey liked his days off. He could lounge in the nest and do nothing while the littles milled about. Helblindi was somewhere behind him, Loki and Skadi were playing with some toy Loki had gotten her.

Byleist was off with a scholar to learn more about his native language. They had considered it for Loki too, but for the moment they plied him with books and left him to choose what he learned himself. War was looming and Laufey wanted Loki close, not with yet another teacher. It was enough that he had to suffer through the absences when the boy was with Frida.

Loki started humming a song, something from Asgard, and Laufey quickly stopped him.

“Am I to assume you would rather hear something else?” Loki asked in an overly sweet manner. “Perhaps an ode to the golden sun? A children's rhyme about the evil Frost Giants? Everyone's favorite ballad about an Aesir who steals a fairy only to have the fair maiden die because she could not survive on Asgard?”

“I am going to torture Odin,” Laufey muttered.

“Oh, I know!” Loki burst out.

“I doubt I will enjoy it.”

“The Circus!”

“No.”

Loki looked mischievous and Laufey figured that if his mother had been sane and alive she would have told him this was a punishment for how he himself had acted as a youth.

“How about something Skadi can repeat the lyrics to without people turning their heads?” Helblindi suggested. “She babbled something that sounded like ' _she died_ ' all yesterday.”

“I am not at fault for what words she latches on to,” Loki grinned, far from displeased it seemed.

Then Helblindi apparently found his Inner Idiot and started to sing a song Laufey had though no one remembered.

Laufey picked up Skadi. “You know your siblings are idiots, right?” he whispered to her.

 

 


	6. Bandit Attack

Loki and Helblindi walked back from a troop inspection in silence. The scream of a dying guard was all the warning they got before they were attacked. Helblindi and Loki were soon surrounded by mercenaries. He assumed they were mercenaries, they were too poorly outfitted to be from any army. Likely from Vanaheim, judging by their clothes.

“Do you speak?” one of them asked.

Helblindi grunted something unintelligible, but it sounded like a curse. “State your business.”

Loki summoned a knife to his hand without being obvious about it. He would have to talk to someone about adding sleeves to the necessities in Jotunheim fashion.

“Elves passed through a portal leading here. Have you seen any?”

Loki grinned and decided to do what The Children always did when foreigners came asking questions – he pretended to be a savage. “Elves? I hear they taste nice. Almost as nice as Vanir.”

The fight broke out then. Of course it did. Loki had threatened to eat them, what else would sane people do?

Loki evaded an arrow and charged forward to stab the leader in the heart. Helblindi threw shards of ice at the mercenaries, one by one piercing their hearts so they did not run around so much. He had good aim.

“Looks like Tyr wants his slaves back,” Loki commented in their own language.

“Elves are no slaves,” Helblindi said, grabbing one mercenary by the head and pulling it off. Spine and all. It looked incredibly gross.

“That is disgusting. I am not touching you until you've washed that off.”

The remaining two mercenaries died when Loki used magic to fry their insides. Sure, The Children did not use fire, but he did.

“They smell even worse like this,” Helblindi complained with a scrunched up face.

Loki used snow to wash some blood off his side. He had a small cut, nothing serious.

“We should tell mother there is trouble brewing,” Helblindi said.

Loki looked him over, he did not seem hurt.

“I am fine.”

“You had better be, there is no way I could carry you back.”

Helblindi smirked and whistled sharply. A shriek from above called back, and a huge winged animal dove toward them at a speed that surpassed a lot of other animals that size. A woman was sitting on the back of it. It landed gracefully, and she barely looked like she was jostled at all. Loki tried to remember what the animals were called, Laufey had told him once.

“Take us to the Queen,” Helblindi ordered.

The woman waved them over.

Loki was not too sure about three of them riding the animal, but he followed Helblindi's lead and got settled between the two larger bodies.

As soon as the animal took off Loki realized it was more than capable of taking their weight. The wings were powerful enough that they were off the ground without as much as a running start, just a jump and a flap of its wings had the creature airborne. It flew swiftly, rising high and then diving to get to where it was directed as quickly as possible.

It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Loki held on to the woman in front of him.

Once he could get off and stood on solid ground again he felt his heart hammer in his chest. The woman riding the animal said a spell and turned invisible. Only the movement of air and the sounds gave her position away. Loki realized they must be a permanent presence.

“Come,” Helblindi said and led him to the throne room with a gentle hand resting on his shoulder.

They passed by a lot of people on their way, but no one bothered them. They could probably see on their faces that something was wrong. Loki had not noticed, but now that people truly avoided bothering him he could tell how much he had gotten used to their greetings.

Farbauti rose from her throne when they entered.

“Trespassers,” Helblindi said, and his hand disappeared from Loki's skin. “Mercenaries looking for Light Elves. They killed at least one of ours before we took them out.”

“They seemed to be under Tyr's command,” Loki filled in. “They had his brand.”

Farbauti turned her eyes to Loki and walked to him. Loki followed her gaze and noticed he had more blood on him. The wound was not dangerously deep, but it had bled a bit. Her hand rested just over the area while she cast a spell to heal it. She turned to a guard in the room. “Bring me the Aesir prisoner, he will deliver a message.”

She looked him over critically. “Take Skadi and Byleist home, they need not see this,” she ordered him.

Byleist frowned, as he often did when he was reminded of his status as a child, but he carried his sister obediently to where Loki was still standing. Ideally Loki would have wanted to burn off the excess adrenaline, but he had an inkling of what she planned and he had no plans to stick around for it.

When Helblindi walked with them instead of staying Loki took a deep breath.

 

* * *

 

Retaliation came quickly. It was barely a few hours since Loki had seen Farbauti that guards came rushing to the siblings and made them hide in the deeper recesses of the cave.

“What happened?” Loki asked when he caught the eye of one of the guards.

“Asgard,” the guard grunted. Which was both all the answer needed and nowhere near enough. Whatever message Farbauti had sent, it had not been an olive branch.

“If anything happens, _anything_ , take Skadi and run until the tunnel becomes water filled, then swim until you reach the surface,” Helblindi instructed sternly.

Loki looked to Byleist.

“We will go the other way,” Helblindi explained. Byleist hugged Helblindi's waist, but Helblindi lifted him up so that he could carry the boy easily.

The ground shook, a tiny tremor that must have been something larger on the surface.

Skadi whined in response to the stress around her. Loki shushed her and stroked her head.

“Was it like this during the war?” Byleist asked in a small voice.

“Worse, when it eventually reached Utgard after a few months,” Helblindi said quietly. “The Bifrost was used to collapse caves and buildings before the Aesir themselves arrived. Everyone was out in the open, unprotected. The youngest fled to the temples because we all saw them as safe places, but the Aesir destroyed many of them as well. I saw children run from one temple to another a few times. We had to cut the Aesir down to stop them from following, but the final battle was too intense to stop and do much planning. When the war had started we had fought in desolate areas and the Aesir had not stayed long hours because of the cold. We had expected a drawn out but boring war, then they changed tactic.”

Another tremor, but just as faint.

“The Battle of Utgard was pure chaos. I led the section of the army stationed here. We lost many, but Asgard lost more. They would have lost if the fighting had continued much longer than it did. Father and mother were close, but not there. I was the one to call for a truce, I was hoping to spare the children.”

Loki tried to picture it, even though he normally made a point out of not getting too invested in a time he could not remember. All his brain kept replaying were faceless children running among ruins with soldiers on their heels.

One of the guards shouted out a call of some sort. Apparently the reply was a good one, because all of them relaxed their stance.

Helblindi patted Byleist on the back. “All clear,” he said.

They all made their way to the surface, the guards stayed close and fanned out around them when there was more space.

The snow was more red and pink than white. The bodies on the ground were all Aesir.

“None of ours fell?” Helblindi asked a soldier.

“Three. Four counting the one you found,” the man reported. It was a remarkably low number considering the number of dead Aesir.

Loki saw a few healers tending to the wounded.

Laufey and Farbauti were standing in the middle of the carnage, both of them looking pleased with the death surrounding them. Byleist was attached to Farbauti in a desperate hug so quickly it was almost funny.

“Savages,” Loki chided gently.

Laufey ran a hand through his hair, before touching Skadi the same way and then pulling both Helblindi and Loki into a hug. By the end of it he took Skadi from Loki and made sure she was alright.

Farbauti dragged Loki to her and held him close.

“I am closing us down now. The next time they try to use the Bifrost it will not be pretty,” Laufey said.

Farbauti nodded. “Svartalfheim will have to wait.”

Laufey hummed, eyes turned to the sky thoughtfully. “The activation, yes, but the actual work could be done now.”

“Are we declaring war?” Helblindi asked.

“No, we will pretend nothing is cooking,” Farbauti said sternly. “Patience. Soon they will bleed.”

 

* * *

 

No one slept that day.

Loki followed Laufey when he got up around noon and only hesitated when he realized they were headed for the temple. His older siblings were largely an abstract concept to him; a gruesome picture.

“Is it not worse to see them like that?” Loki whispered.

Laufey cleared a small circle of snow and sat down at the children's feet. Loki sat down on his right side. “They were not always dead... Hati was the older one, she would take a lot of responsibility for the younger. Idi was never really sad. Always laughing and joking. Beli and Vali were little whirlwinds – always moving. You were different from how you are now. You never cared who held you or nursed you and you were never wary of strangers. The guards would watch you at times and I am sure they would have gladly kept you if we had allowed it. As much as I wanted to I could not hold onto you all the time.” Laufey took a pause and started stroking Loki's hair.

“Has Helblindi changed?”

Laufey's hand stopped abruptly. He sighed deeply. “No. Frankly that is a bit of a problem. He does very little to change. He goes with the current, but he is not swimming.”

“Maybe he feels the need to be like you too often. There is very little free will in being a clone.”

Laufey nodded. “I love him, never think differently, but I have not always made the best decisions for him.”

 

 


	7. Political Differences

In the end Asgard's retaliation was a single attack, nothing more. Helblindi knew better than to hope there would be no war, because there would be, but not today. Helblindi knew very well what his father expected of him for the years to come and he knew what his second mother wanted – revenge. Farbauti was simple in her motivations, but she liked complex plans.

“They are hesitant,” Fabauti noted irritably.

“War costs money,” Laufey said. “You need to feed, clothe and train troops. You need weapons, transport. They mobilized slow last time too.”

“What else have they taken, apart from the Casket?”

“A lot, I imagine,” Laufey said.

“They have not disowned Loki yet. He could enter the vault where they keep their loot.”

“Loki is a poor choice,” Helblindi argued.

“He is the only choice, given the defenses. Him or Thor, and I will not put any trust in that dirty whelp.” She moved around, something he could hear clearly.

“You are asking him to attack the only home he knew for centuries.”

“He chose to stay here -”

“He chose to stay where he gets _fed_ and _cared for_ , and still you call it a _choice_? What choice is there in it? He either starves in Asgard or he stays and gets coddled. Of course he stayed! What did you expect? Choosing food and comfort is a vast difference from choosing to slap his second father in the face.”

“We need to weaken them and there is no other way to do it without a full invasion.”

“Even if he hates you for it?” Helblindi asked to be cruel.

Farbauti was nearly as tall as he was, and she crowded in on him. “War will come, either the pig starts it or we do. I agree that it is not ideal, but do not stand in my way.”

“I will stand behind you, but I stood behind my first mother too. Think about that.”

“Think about this instead – if we loose this time we will all be slaughtered. They will leave no one alive.”

“He has a point,” Laufey said. “Loki is a mess emotionally and he never says no to anything we ask of him. We have no true way of knowing if he actually consents.”

“Are we forgetting that he has done things like this before?” Farbauti asked. “Do we forget that Odin sent his sons far and wide to do just this kind of thing? Yes, Loki is damaged, but he is also able to best members of the elite forces in single combat. He is no more delicate than I am, and he can take care of himself.”

 

* * *

 

Helblindi was not surprised when his father came to find him. Unlike the royal couple he could barely stand the temple ruins, and when he needed to be alone he preferred to find one of the many empty nests in the communal cave.

“Are you going to allow her?”

“What is there to allow? She will ask,” Laufey said.

“And he will agree.”

Laufey sat down next to him and bumped their shoulders together. “He is docile here, easy to handle, but he is no pushover.”

 

 


	8. The Rogue Prince

Loki sat down in the throne room. Laufey was reading a book since no one seemed to have any business to discuss. There was a set time for public audiences, and when asked why he simply did not leave when things calmed Laufey had claimed that being available to the commoners made them feel safer.

Meanwhile Loki had a simplified version of Jotunheim's history in his lap. The dating made no sense. “How long is a year? Is it the same as Asgard?”

“Not exactly. If you ask because of the history book then either two or ten,” Laufey answered easily.

“That makes no sense.”

“One orbit around the star would be two years the way other realms perceive years. There are two cold periods and two warm periods because the orbit is very elliptical. So, one standard year here is counted as two years these days. It got confusing when we were included in the Dark Elf Empire, and so it was decided we count as Svartalfheim does. So, one orbit is two years, which is now how everyone counts, but confuses youngsters.”

Loki sat up straighter.

“One year on Svartalfheim is actually slightly less than half an orbit here. So technically we are counting correctly, and the commoners have always counted winters. So, people would say they were so and so many winters and that corresponded well with the new system. However, historians counted orbits around the star since the time we learned basic functions of the universe. Before that history was written as if ten winter periods was a year, which corresponded with elections in the small communities that made up our society before the unification. Matriarchs could only be challenged for their position after ten winters, and then ten winters after that, and so on and so forth. There were other systems in place before, but that was in ancient times.”

“Women fought each other?” Loki asked.

“Not normally, because they might be pregnant and then the child might be hurt. That is not something we approve of. Instead she chose one of her sons, or her husband, who will fight in her stead. The survivor, because these fights were always to the death, would then be named winner. This is called a culling. The reason it is called a culling, is because he who has fought and won is now the best fighter anyone present knows of. This makes it his job to cull the opposition. All adults who are not pregnant are killed, the children adopted by the winning side. Children who are near adulthood and caused a fuss were usually sent out to die of exposure.”

“Do people still practice that? Culling?”

“It is not forbidden. I have heard of none since the war though.”

“But four hundred years ago? Are you _serious_?”

“My mother used to cull her children and grandchildren, but in a more sport-like fashion. All adults fought until there was one left.” Laufey smirked. “I always won.”

“I am glad I will never meet her, you know.”

“Personally I always feel conflicted. She was my mother and I loved her, but I am not so blind as to not realize she ruled by fear. For the realm, for the children she would have harmed, I always stand by my choice to kill her.”

“What about your father? You never talk about him.”

Laufey sighed. “I never really knew him, personally. He was a warlord, self-proclaimed ruler of the smaller worlds in the the solar system. He called my mother the Queen of Nothing, and she only defeated him with the help of the Dark Elves. She then proclaimed herself Queen of the Entire Realm to spite him. The Dark Elves had captured him, and she kept him jailed. Had a few kids by him. Annoyance or no, she argued that he had good genes.”

“That... this is all upside down, not to mention barbaric.” Loki shook his head.

Laufey snickered. “Just wait until you get to the middle of that book. Anyway. She also fucked my paternal uncle, Kvasir, and he was always more of a father figure to me than the other men she had. You met him the first time you were here, but you might not remember that.”

 

* * *

 

Loki stood off to the side while the army did their monotonous drills and fought their fake battles. Hailstrum was harsh on both the soldiers and the captains, but he was also very efficient.

“I always wondered why we allow people to inherit a crown,” Grundroth said out of nowhere.

“What did your father do?” Raze asked.

“He was a soldier, like me,” Grundroth said with a bit of pride.

“And a hunter's son will most likely make a good hunter. We raise our children to be like us,” Raze said patiently.

Loki found the practice session boring. He idly paid attention to the guards while they spoke, but soon ignored their presence.

In a flash of light the soldiers were all surrounded by gold armor and Einherjar spears. Loki snickered when all of them panicked, the fear written on their faces like a poem, but they behaved surprisingly well and closed the lines.

Loki changed the illusion to show Dark Elves instead, but with Malekith's emblem instead of Alflyse's.

“And no one knows what to do,” he complained.

Hailstrum turned toward him and growled.

“I am shaking in fear,” Loki mocked, but he dropped the illusion.

A hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to see Farbauti, who he still had a hard time associating with being his mother on some days. She was Byleist's mother, Helblindi's, Skadi's, but Loki's mother was named Frigga. Even if Farbauti was a much better mother.

He had hoped for Helblindi, that type of touch to the shoulder was his thing. Everyone was touchy as a general rule, but the type differed slightly.

“Walk with me,” she said, “leave them alone for a bit.”

Loki shrugged.

They walked around Utgard, keeping a small distance between themselves and the visible settlement. A part of him expected to be scolded – in that disappointed tone Frigga used – but another part of him knew Farbauti would not see a problem with what he had done. It was just a bit of fun, and unlike Laufey he could blame it on his age.

“Thor Odinson, your second brother, will marry Alflyse in a few weeks time,” Farbauti said and stopped in a desolate area.

“You seem pleased,” Loki said. He was not sure what to think of it, because Alflyse was clearly not turning against Farbauti, but her marriage to Asgard's crown prince could not be entirely uncomplicated. Odin would expect obedience, if not loyalty, out of any bride.

“I am,” she smirked. “Alflyse suggested it. If they have a child I will give him Mjolnir back. Regardless of whatever feelings they may or may not develop it will keep him away from harm when the war comes. That should please you.”

Loki shrugged. “Does Asgard expect Svartalfheim to turn against us?”

“Of course, but Alflyse is no fool. She signed an agreement that is no threat to the further alliance between Svartalfheim and Jotunheim. She is not bound to obey Asgard.”

“Odin would not do this without gaining something.”

She nodded. “Svartalfheim follow leaders they respect, not necessarily a man. He might become their king, eventually, but he will have a hard time commanding anyone. The Aesir was the reason for the fall of their empire, Dark Elves rarely forgive. Not to mention that marrying into a title is seen as laziness. Initially he will merely be a consort.”

“It is a risky gamble.”

“Yes, we need Svartalfheim. My people are primarily hunters, warriors, farmers and fishermen. We build with stone and ice. We do not create ships that can fly in space, nor do we create weapons not made of ice or magic.” She held out a dagger made of uru to him. “It is a gamble, but if all goes as planned Asgard's court will be on Svartalfheim for the wedding.”

Loki toyed with the dagger. Few things stood up to the cold. Steel would shatter eventually, but uru was hardy and could withstand nearly anything. Terribly expensive too. Asgard favored dwarven weapons, but this was clearly elven in design. The Dark Elves had once mass produced weapons for their armies.

“You will go into Asgard. You can find your way there, you know the palace layout and the hidden passages. No one needs to die by your hand.”

“Why?”

Raze and Grundroth came forth and stood just behind him. He needed to stop dismissing the presence of servants and guards entirely. Farbauti took a gem from her hair and braided it into Loki's. “You will take the Casket while everyone is distracted. Do not bring it here, it would be too obvious. Bring it to our allies in Muspelheim, you will find Eld waiting there for you. Raze and Grundroth will accompany you, command them as you please. The gem will lead you back home.”

Loki nodded. He would not just take the Casket, though, it was too obvious. He would empty the entire vault. That way, the Casket was the last thing Odin would look for. The risk of getting caught in the act was greater, but the risk of discovery after was smaller.

“Byleist will pass as you during the wedding.”

“An alibi?”

“You would be missed, if you were to not show yourself. Spend some time with him, give him some lines to speak. There is still time to prepare and plan details.”

Loki nodded again. Farbauti did not leave things to chance the way Thor did, but it was still as risky as anything Thor could have cooked up. “If I am caught?”

“How aware are you of the bonds between us? If something happens to you, I can pull you to my side.”

“I know there are some sort of bonds,” Loki admitted. “You will not attend Alflyse's wedding?”

“No,” she struck a dramatic pose, “I just had a baby, weak woman that I am, I simply must get my rest.”

“What will you do?” Loki asked, not at all fooled. She had been weak after the birth of Skadi, but it had lasted days, not months. Still, to an Aesir it would seem reasonable. Even with the damage from the birth undone most of Asgard's noble women spent years lazing about.

“I will tell you if I succeed,” she smirked. “About the bonds, they are between one soul and another. You grew up alone, without your people, so you use them differently. Have you ever wondered how you can tell when people lie to you?”

“Not really.”

Farbauti stroked his cheek. “Think of Helblindi. How does he feel today? Is he angry? Happy?”

Loki closed his eyes and tried to do what she wanted. He knew Helblindi was not in charge of the audiences, Laufey was. He licked his lips, trying to empty all the stray thoughts and focus on just Helblindi.

“Keep trying,” Farbauti said when Loki shook his head.

Loki felt something like a phantom touch on his back, like a hand hovering just over the skin. “I know you are there.”

The hand made contact, and only then could Loki pick up on mild amusement and fondness.

“Something to practice... _alone._.. perhaps?” Farbauti suggested wickedly.

“Would it not be better for him to practice with you?” Helblindi asked.

“Later. Have fun.”

 

* * *

 

“Are you incapable of telling time?”

“It will be sometime tonight.”

“Closer to morning or closer to evening? Midnight? This needs to be clarified.”

“Not really.”

“But what if people have other things to do?”

“You have literally nothing else to do. We're here,” Raze said. Loki waited nervously in the maze of tunnels after Raze left.

The easiest person for Loki to pick up on from a distance was Laufey. It was a simple enough task – find Laufey in the maze. They would try with other members of the family as soon as he got better.

It was not a very threatening situation, but it was completely dark. The air was a little humid, a little warm.

He explored for a long time, and at first the dead ends only made him frustrated. All the while he felt a pull, like he was supposed to come closer.

When he encountered a dead end and had to move further away from the pull he felt his pulse pick up.

Once he reached Laufey he was wrapped into a tight hug, and Loki held on hard enough that he was sure it must hurt.

 

* * *

 

Helblindi took him to Svartalfheim. The army held a trial to get more new recruits. The best would be picked, the rest would either give up or practice more until next time.

All the elves participating were blindfolded.

“The ones guiding them are officers,” Helblindi explained, “if they are worthy, they will already be used to obeying.”

“Why not just accept anyone who wants to join?”

“We test our recruits as well. It separates the wheat from the chaff.”

“Asgard trains anyone. Well, any man. As long as there is interest anyone can join and be trained.”

“But no women?”

“Very few. Thor's friend Sif had to fight tooth and nail to be allowed to be a warrior.”

 

* * *

 

The night before the wedding was to take place Loki found himself on his side between Laufey and Helblindi, and he did not object when they both started feeling him up. Laufey was rougher, more demanding, while Helblindi was gentler.

Loki moaned shamelessly when Laufey bit hard on his shoulder. Helblindi told him to relax, and he did, and then he had Laufey's cock inside him. He blushed, cheeks burning, at the thought of his father fucking him. When Laufey moved and did just that Loki mumbled a lot of things, but he never asked for it to end. He never wanted it to end.

Then there was a pause and a pressure and Loki bit Helblindi hard when he felt another cock press in as well.

“Such an obedient kitten,” Laufey purred.

“Too much?” Helblindi asked softly, stroking Loki's face.

Loki pressed his mouth to Helblindi's, the mumbled “fuck me” against his lips. They did, almost in perfect sync too. Loki clung to Helblindi and moaned while he tried to move with them. He was so full.

Helblindi moved a bit out of sync and Loki came with a yelp.

“Keep doing that,” he heard Laufey say.

Helblindi did, Loki cursed but Laufey had moved to hold his hips and Loki could do nothing to move away.

 

* * *

 

It was finally time.

Asgard's defenses were formidable compared to Midgard's, Vanaheim's and Alfheim's. Unfortunately for Asgard, Loki knew how all of them worked. He knew every flaw and glitch.

He felt a twinge of regret at attacking his old home. He had grown up in the halls he now stalked with two Frost Giants. A part of him felt that it was a bit much of Farbauti to ask of him, another part thrilled at having something to do for once.

There just was never any administrative tasks on Jotunheim that needed doing, which was otherwise Loki's main chore on Asgard. Laufey disliked to complicate things that were inherently simple, so everything was so easy and quick that Loki sometimes wondered how it even worked. Except, work it did.

Raze and Grundroth were quiet and alert. Loki was not beyond marveling at their stealth – Asgard did not give enough credit for the way a species so heavy could move so quietly. And they were heavy. Loki had more than doubled in weight even though he was still considered skinny. Byleist weighed about the same as Thor, which had been shocking when Loki had managed to translate the different measuring systems.

It was a pity he was missing Thor's wedding. He would have wanted to tease his brother a bit, but at least he had given Byleist some help by enchanting a few items. The wedding gifts were ridiculously expensive items. Farbauti had claimed they had to be fit for a royal couple, but Loki knew Thor would not appreciate any delicate jewelry. He was too practical, too stuck in his warrior ideals.

The royal palace was quiet, deserted, in the absence of the royals and the nobels. Servants lazily moved about some parts, but for the majority of the time it took to get down to the Weapons Vault they saw no one. More importantly, no one saw them.

Loki used a simple spell to put the guards outside to sleep. Killing them would alert others, most notably Heimdall, but a nap was not cause for concern. Asgard had grown complacent and slacked off since the last war. Gaining entry anywhere was never difficult if you knew where you wanted to go.

Next came the real problem; taking.

He had borrowed things from the Vault before, so he knew how to do it without setting off the Destroyer, but there were a lot of powerful items in there. Loki needed them to cooperate with him. Normally he would take something that wanted to be taken to ensure the item worked with his magic instead of against it. Subduing items like the Casket would be extremely tiring.

Most of his preparatory time had been used to learn more about carrying around things with magic. How to hide and conceal what he had with him. Laufey had been a lot of help there, but he had also been the one to shoot most of Loki's ideas down. Even so, his biological father was not dismissive the way Odin often was when Loki brought up ideas.

He had to ask Laufey about magic more often. Even if he had Frida she only knew elven magic, and some spells Laufey used were not using the same principles. He was worried Laufey would refuse, because so far his parents had been so good to him. He actively avoided anything that might cause them to become disappointed. It was perhaps silly, but Loki had always wanted what he had now.

It had been Laufey's idea to approach the Casket first, and Loki could understand why once he had the artifact in his own hands. Laufey had said it would help him, and Loki could feel in his bones that it would. He had never tried taking it from the vault before, he had only used it passively. It felt a bit like coming home, like an embrace. For something that supposedly could freeze villages it was... warm.

Taking the others after that was no problem. The Destroyer was slumbering, because Odin had never rejected Loki as a prince of the realm. It gave him leeway to touch and take as he wished. The guards were asleep. His own guards – Raze and Grundroth – had spread out so that one was watching the entrance and another stayed close to Loki.

Loki was more nervous getting out than he had been getting in, since the stakes were much higher with stolen goods.

He knew of a portal leading to Alfheim thanks to Frey, who always refused to use the Bifrost for travel, so he started to lead his two partners in crime there. The quickest path led them through the palace orchards, and Loki had an idea as they passed through the neat rows of twisted trees.

“The ground here is heated by water pipes,” he remembered Frigga telling him this once, his voice was no louder than a whisper, “because the trees are sensitive to frost...”

Originally the Realm Eternal had not suffered winter. Magic had made the weather change seasons, but much of the native flora and fauna suffered during the cold months.

“Are these the ones that produce golden apples?” Raze asked just as quietly. He looked around at the gnarly trees.

“Yes. Do not try to eat one, they are not exactly edible.”

“If you are thinking about freezing them, the Casket will do as you will it to,” Raze said.

Loki took the Casket out, and crouched down. The magic from the Casket mixed with his own and the spell was instantaneous. A muffled creaking and popping was heard throughout the orchard.

They hurried their steps, but no one came to investigate that Loki noticed.

 

* * *

 

Raze and Grundroth sneezed constantly when they passed bushes with some red flower. Hibiscus, perhaps. Loki felt it tickle too, but not as badly. He was probably desensitized since he had lived so long on Alfheim. Spring was always horrible.

“Frida?” Loki called out.

The elderly woman stepped out of her invisibility and approached him. “Here.”

Loki handed her some of the more powerful artifacts. She hid them away with a casual flick of her wrist.

“I will make sure they are not found. Come to see me on jotunheim when you have time.”

Loki nodded. “Thank you.”

“Make sure you hurry your steps now, you might get sick from all the energy you are exposed to.”

“I will,” Loki promised.

“Hold on to him,” Frida told Raze and Grundroth, “I will send you to our closest neighbor.”

 

* * *

 

Frida's teleportation landed Loki in Svartalfheim's capital, with Raze and Grundroth still holding him. They only had to walk a short bit to meet with a few mages Alflyse had sent. They accepted a few trinkets that they had wanted to study. Loki gave them stern instructions to hide the items from Asgard's watchful gaze and they eagerly agreed.

Two of the mages opened a portal to Muspelheim. He had hopped between realms so many times now that he felt a little confused, even though he refused to show it.

 

* * *

 

Some less powerful artifacts were given to Musphelheim. Unlike what Farbauti had wanted he did not give them the Casket for safekeeping – it wanted to stay with Loki because it wanted to go back to where it belonged.

Eld met him as agreed and made no mention about it. Loki supposed Farbauti had not told Eld what exactly he would be receiving.

It was warmer on Muspelheim than he liked, but colder than he had anticipated. The air was thick with ash and sulfur. He could see active volcanoes erupt into the cloudy sky not too far away. No sunlight penetrated the atmosphere, but the fire from the mountains provided some light.

“My nose will never be the same,” Raze complained quietly.

Loki silently agreed. Eld walked them to the portal he used himself to get to Jotunheim and wished them a safe journey.

 

* * *

 

Back on Jotunheim Loki nearly stumbled from how the Casket surged with power in response to being in a familiar realm. He went alone to a hiding spot he had found earlier. Raze and Grundroth did not know where he had placed the Casket. No one but Loki knew. It was for the best. Laufey and Farbauti would find it easily, in any case. They could likely sense it already.

Rather than go to the healers to complain about unfriendly atmospheres like his two bodyguards he went to see his father.

“Risky,” Laufey said when Loki walked into the mostly empty throne room.

Loki shrugged, but kept walking until he was right in front of his biological father. If he had been in Asgard still, under a false skin and living a lie, Odin would have dismissed him as soon as he had reported that his duty was done. He could possibly have talked to Thor, but most likely he would have been alone. He did not miss that.

Laufey grabbed his wrist and pulled Loki until he was sitting on his lap. Loki buried his face in the crook of Laufey's neck and sighed.

“How are you?”

“Everything went fine.”

“Of course it did, I do not doubt your talents. You are still jittery,” Laufey hummed and stroked a large hand over Loki's hair.

“I feel strange and that much travel is confusing. Where is Farbauti? Is she here?”

Laufey gently turned Loki's head and pointed to the entrance Loki had come through. Above it hung two dead ravens. “She came back just before you.”

Those were Odin's ravens, if Loki was not mistaken. If raiding the vault did not cause a war, then killing those birds surely would. He wondered how she had managed to kill them. They were protected by a lot of powerful spells.

“You did well,” Laufey said softly.

“I could sleep for years,” Loki said. His lips felt numb. “I should go to the healers.”

 

* * *

 

Loki woke up in the healer's quarters with no real memory of how he had gotten there. Laufey and Farbauti were sitting by the cot he was on, Skadi sitting in Farbauti's lap.

“What happened? Did I pass out?” Loki asked. He rubbed a hand over his face.

“No one has tried to be so close to quite that number of powerful objects,” Laufey said apologetically. “I should have anticipated there to be consequences.”

Farbauti patted his arm. “The healers say it resembled a high, like taking drugs. You seem a bit better now.”

Loki sat up, but quickly laid back down again. He felt dizzy, but not nauseous. He heard his breathing hitch as much as he felt it. It had happened a few times before – mostly when he got too drunk, before he learned to avoid getting to that stage. It normally ended in him passing out and Thor laughing for days.

Laufey picked him up and carried him a few steps away. Once underwater Loki panicked, but Laufey held him tight. His breathing evened out he relaxed, the memory of being able to breathe water returning. It was little more than a pool, Loki had just never paid enough attention to notice it. They spent a long time underwater, all the while Laufey held him and stroked his back. Loki could have sworn he heard him speak, but chalked it up to his mind playing tricks. Words did not carry underwater. Even if it was just his imagination it calmed him down.

Farbauti cooed over him when they surfaced. Loki was slumped over the edge with Laufey keeping an arm around him.

“Sorry,” Loki said.

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Laufey said. “If anything we should be sorry for putting you in danger.”

“I was bored stiff,” Loki argued.

Farbauti stroked his cheek.

A healer came and looked him over. He seemed pleased enough to allow Loki to go home. Not that Loki was allowed to walk, no, Laufey carried him back as if he was a small child. He fell asleep before they arrived.

 

* * *

 

Next time he woke up Loki lay mesmerized watching Helblindi play a flute made of ice. He had woken up to the sound and had not found the will to get up yet.

It was easy to see the resemblance Helblindi had to Laufey, but the more time Loki spent around them the more he noticed that they were fundamentally different people. Lately Helblindi had stopped mirroring Laufey, becoming more set apart. It was like they were giving up on passing Helblindi off for his father in order to fool outsiders. Perhaps they just didn't need to. Farbauti was the one ultimately in charge now that she was officially the Queen.

“Have you not seen a flute before?” Helblindi asked with a small smile when he was done with his piece.

“I had no idea you played.” Loki smiled back.

“We will need to celebrate the Moons soon, and I am out of practice.” Helblindi toyed with his flute.

“I know very little about the celebrations here,” Loki said. He knew of The Mourning, but that was all.

“There are not many in a years time, most are spaced out over longer periods. The Two Moon Celebration comes when we can see both of the moons circling the planet close together. It happens roughly every twenty years.”

“So what does this celebration have to do with the flute?”

“It is a quiet celebration for the most part, light music like a still night. When we orbit closer to the sun and the ice melt we use louder music. I prefer to play music, it saves me from a lot of socializing.”

“The ice _melts_?”

Helblindi nodded. “Not all, but most. Once a century or so, lasting about half a year. The crystals and formations you see in the landscape are from when the water freezes rapidly.”

“How quick does the temperature drop for _that_ to happen?” Loki asked worriedly.

“Over a few hours, the moons will block the sunlight towards the end. Father says it does not always happen, but it has since I was old enough to remember. We stay underground for most of it. At the beginning it is rather beautiful, odd but beautiful. We are safe here anyway. It is why we have only settled in a few places around the planet. The Humans who live here once believed Laufey controlled the floods and would come to him with the oddest requests.”

“I bet he liked to fool them. So what is this celebration about? The Moon thing.”

“It is a quiet celebration, as I said, traditionally this was the only time when our people would wed. Now it is more about finding new lovers or taking time to appreciate the ones you have.”

Loki jerked a little at the ticklish feel when Helblindi traced the end of the flute across his belly. He made no move to stop the patterns Helblindi drew on his skin.

“Why play at being submissive?” Helblindi asked.

“I kind of am?”

“There should be more fight in you. Do you not trust us yet?”

Loki sighed. “I do, I guess.”

Helblindi hummed thoughtfully as he traced the flute up and down Loki's arm. “You argue more with your second family.”

“I grew up with them. There are so many unknowns here, so much I don't understand, so many things that could go wrong.”

“What scares you the most?”

“Going back.”

“Nobody would make you leave if you did not want it.”

“I was exiled a lot from Asgard. I spent as much time in exile as I did living there, it is one of the reasons I have studied so much magic.”

“You realize that mother went up against father, told him he was being an idiot in front a full courtroom, and he still did not exile her. It is in our nature to have a short temper, we understand that sometimes you just need to vent.” Helblindi stroked Loki's cheek.

“You do not get exiled for going up against the King in Asgard. You get executed.”

“We are not in Asgard. Here it is allowed to have opinions. Father would _never_ intentionally hurt you, mother would never send you away.”

“And you?”

“Never. Not to mention, if I ever did rule as such father would kill me. In case you failed to notice it he is very, very fond of you. You should see how little he fusses over the rest of us compared to you.”

“So death is still on the menu even if exile is not.”

“You twist my words.”

“Liesmith and Silvertongue, does it sound familiar?” Loki laughed.

Helblindi sighed and kissed him. “Alflyse wants us all to attend a meal with her and her new husband. That other brother of yours.”

“I want to go,” Loki nodded. “I still feel wonky, however.”

“You were unconscious when Byleist and I returned from the wedding. They cried, mother and father, because they felt they had put you in too much danger. We all love you. I hope you know that.”

Loki smiled. “I love you all too, but I will not marry you.”

“Never?” Helblindi asked.

“Not yet,” Loki amended. “If I actually get to choose then I want to make certain I am not making a mistake. We have after all only known each other for a few short years.”

“So I should wait for the next festival?”

Loki smirked. “Maybe.” He held on to Helblindi's shoulders and kissed him.

“Children!” Laufey called from another room. “We have to leave. Which is a shame, because I still have not gotten to see you two fuck.”

“I distinctly remember you being involved just a while ago...”

“Not the same as watching. Come now, things to do.”

 

 


	9. In Bed With A Monster

_Meanwhile..._

 

Thor did not meet his intended bride until the day of the wedding, and he had been a nervous wreck for days by then. It did not help his nerves any that his clothes were traditionally elven robes instead of armor as Asgard would have preferred. It felt too light and soft. Like nothing was holding him down to the floor and he could float away at any moment and be lost in the black abyss of space.

His father stood next to him and smiled. Thankfully it would all be over soon, if he had to listen to one more glorified story about how happy Odin was with Frigga, Thor though he might actually run away.

But when the lady in question walked up to him he was relieved to see the woman who had given Balder his gift. She was pretty, a Dark Elf, but pretty. She had nice shapes and was dressed as a Queen. He could not tell from her expression if she was happy or not, but she did not look repulsed at least. Ideally he would have picked someone from Asgard, but Thor had always known and feared that his parents could saddle him with a political marriage. Now that they had done just that he relived all those old fears about being stuck in a loveless marriage.

He saw Loki and Helblindi stand by each other, whispering. Loki met his eyes and smiled. He looked... younger. More carefree and not so bitter and jaded. Thor smiled back in relief that maybe, just maybe, Loki was cared for. Loki was happy. Hopefully, and it seemed likely, Loki would get to choose his spouse. He knew what his brother wrote in his letters hinted at him being well, but seeing him meant different things from just reading carefully crafted words.

The priest who spoke of unions and holy matrimony went on with his speech for a long time. Thor smiled and tried to look interested in the speech.

According to the old traditions of Svartalfheim they had to be marked. Marriage was not done lightly, it was supposed to last. Two elves approached them and drew a design on their chests, using magic to make it stick to the skin even if they washed. Thor had at first wondered why the clothes displayed so much skin there, but once his parents had explained he had understood. It had not calmed him, but he had seen the purpose.

Thor looked at Alflyse while it was being done, her calm face. He feared no creature, but the Dark Elves had once ruled all. He knew Alflyse must have a reason for wanting an Aesir prince as her husband. She could have gotten anyone, of any race, and they would have been honored by her offer.

Once the tattoos were finished they could speak their vows. They did so with their left hand placed over their intendeds tattoo. The gathered crowd cheered once they were done. Alflyse dropped her hand slowly, in a caress down his body. It felt surreal to be wedded.

 

* * *

 

During the feast Thor and his bride were seated alone at a large table. They had a good view of the rest of the room. People walked up to their table, they offered them gifts and wished them well. It was a long line of people and Thor's only concern was when it would end. Aesir came first, then their allied realms, after that came Svartalfheim's nobility followed by representatives from the other realms.

Loki and Helblindi came up to the table nearly last, which was planned by Frigga since Jotunheim had no love for the Aesir. Thor would have argued if he had been involved in the planning. Loki was his brother, blood or no blood. They were dressed in the fashion of the Dark Elves, both in a deep dark green with a coat of arms Thor could only assume was Laufey's. It looked oddly natural for them to wear clothes, though Thor had seen few Frost Giants wear much more than loincloths.

“Mother sends her regards, but she had to stay with our infant sister,” Helblindi said. “Once a child has been born out of your union to Alflyse she promises return Mjolnir to you. Of course, you will have to behave until then. As long as no further incidents occur your ban from Jotunheim is lifted.”

“I am grateful,” Thor said. He had missed his hammer, but he could also sympathize with the reason for why the Frost Giants took it. He had messed up, he had to repent.

Loki silently placed a box in front of Alflyse and one in front of Thor. They were carved from wood, with a symbol on top that Thor recognized as Alflyse's coat of arms.

“These,” Helblindi indicated the boxes, “are gifts from Jotunheim. Seldom do we craft such items, but our mountains are rich and our smiths are skilled.”

Alflyse opened hers and gasped. She delicately lifted an ornate crown that looked like it was mostly made from ice. Thor suspected it was a clear crystal that was used instead of the metal many favored. The many gems littering the swirling design caught the light and glittered like a rainbow. Though he cared nothing for jewelry, he could tell by the looks of the people gathered around them that the craftsmanship was indeed excellent.

Thor opened his own box and found a matching crown in a more masculine design. Still not what Aesir would consider worthy of a man, but elves were more fond of delicate jewelry and Thor was now supposed to live in Svartalfheim.

“Truly works of art,” he praised. He silently wondered if there was a symbolism involved, in getting their crowns from Jotunheim. As if Jotunheim was crowning them, pulling their strings. He hoped for his parents' sake that he was wrong. He doubted it would affect his own life overly much.

Alflyse made sure to place his new crown on his head for him. She had donned her own quickly enough. A nervous laugh spread around the room. Thor saw something blue in his peripheral vision and realized it was his hair.

“Loki!”

His brother just grinned cheekily at him.

“I think it suits you,” Alflyse brushed his hair away from his face and kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she then told Helblindi. “Are we still sharing a meal tomorrow?”

“The family will arrive in time,” Helblindi answered. “We will be going now, unfortunately.”

Alflyse reached over the table to give Loki a loose hug, then Helblindi. Thor clasped Loki's shoulder and was surprised when he was pulled into a quick hug instead.

“Be well, brother,” Thor said as the two started to walk away, “and you, Helblindi.”

“Hurt her and I will hold you down while we let trolls fuck you,” Helblindi shouted with a cheerful wave.

Thor did not doubt that Helblindi would.

 

* * *

 

The party ended late. Alflyse made no secret of being interested in sex, but when Thor hesitated she did not push him. Normally he would have been more than interested in having her, but he would spend eternity with this woman. There was time. They laid down in bed instead, facing each other and the remainder of the wedding night was mostly spent talking.

Alflyse was frank and honest, she did not giggle like a maid nor did she keep her opinions secret. She was also younger than Thor had guessed. Just a little older than he himself was.

“I do want a legitimate baby,” Alflyse said. “It will be necessary for the nobility here to shut up and quiet down.”

“I never really tried to imagine myself as a father.”

“Loki is wonderful with his younger siblings,” Alflyse smiled softly. “A pity he has more interest in his own gender.”

“He is very keen on the wellbeing of others,” Thor agreed.

“And you?”

“I have always been a tad reckless,” Thor admitted.

“Would you love our child, if I had one?”

Thor smiled. He pictured little Balder and nodded. “I think perhaps I need more information on your culture, lest I make some horrible faux pas because I was raised on Asgard.”

“Just avoid doing what your parents did to Loki,” Alflyse flipped over to lay on her back.

“I love my parents, dearly, but knowing what I do now I can agree. He was so often sick when we were little that I would wake up in the middle of the night and go find him because I worried he had withered away. Loki is tough as nails, but at times I think what hurt him most was what was in the end best for him. While he was exiled he at least fattened up and looked healthier upon his return.”

Thor laid on his back as well. “We smuggled food for him. The Warriors Three and myself. Once I learned what he could eat without being sick from it we would make sure to stock up on it during out adventures and bring it to him.”

“They were executed, were they not?” Alflyse asked.

“Aye. Sif was spared, but they kept her on Jotunheim. I know not why.”

 

* * *

 

The next morning they met up with the Jotun Queen in the throne room. She had a few black feathers weaved into her hair. Thor had never thought there were birds on Jotunheim.

Alflyse bowed to Farbauti. Thor nearly panicked when he realized in complete clarity all his father's schemes were for naught. He worried the blame would somehow fall on him more than anything else. He should have been more prepared, but suspicions made poor facts.

“You can choose not to bow to me,” Farbauti said slyly. Thor could easily see how much Loki looked like her. He really did need to stop thinking of women like frail maidens. He should have taken a hint from Sif. Laufey's woman was not a pretty trophy wife, this was a monarch. “There will be consequences to the actions you take. Bear in mind, for instance, that my army is stronger than Asgard's.”

“My father has defeated you before,” Thor said quietly, and mostly out of reflex.

“I was little more than a child. We were not looking for war, we were unprepared. We merely punished those who repeatedly trespassed into out realm – as is our right.”

“We are prepared now, son of Odin,” Alflyse said, still kneeling.

Thor looked between them, the two blue-skinned women of two different races. He saw one Queen kneeling before another. It went against everything he had been taught, but Thor did kneel beside his new wife.

“Good,” Farbauti said, as if she was casually praising a child. “You may rise.”

Thor got up almost in sync with Alflyse.

Farbauti held out a sealed scroll to him. “A messenger came while you two were busy... getting acquainted. Need I remind you that a child will be necessary?”

Thor took it with a nod of thanks, ignored the part about offspring and broke the seal. It was not joyful news, though in hindsight he should have expected as much. Balder had been named the throne heir of Asgard instead of himself.

“My family has arrived, a meal has been prepared. Come and join us,” Farbauti said.

“I would love to,” Alflyse smiled. “Thor, do come. I am sure your brother will want to have words with you.”

They walked through the palace to a garden where furniture was set out for both Frost Giants and Dark Elves. It was cleverly arranged to make it look less as if it was catering to two differently sized species and more as if the design was just accidentally allowing it.

The garden had plenty of trees and bushes, some in bloom, and Thor was reminded of his mother's garden in Asgard.

“Ah, the pink one arrives,” Laufey mocked.

Thor sighed, but did nothing to retaliate. He had ruefully admitted that not only could Laufey take him in a fight, the man was Loki's father.

“I see you survived the night, brother,” Loki grinned. Thor looked at him closely.

“I thought I saw you last night, but clearly I did not.”

Loki put a hand on the young giant next to him. “Byleist. The one you nearly killed, remember?”

“Is this another of your tricks?” Thor asked, feeling a little awkward.

Loki grinned. “Perhaps. It is called racial blindness, when one cannot see the different individuals, just the race they belong to.”

Thor took a seat and conceded the point. “I apologize, Byleist. I wanted to rescue my brother and I was indeed blind to the truth.”

Byleist, who he had thought to be Loki the night prior, smiled a little. “I accept. As long as you do not try to steal him again.”

Seeing them side by side he could tell them apart easily enough. Loki was thinner and looked older, while Byleist clearly had not yet lost his baby fat.

Farbauti, meanwhile, had gone to her husband to retrieve her youngest child. Thor could not see Helblindi anywhere.

“Fussy child,” Farbauti hissed softly when the babe whined and reached for someone. It turned out to be Loki, and Farbauti placed the babe in his arms.

Thor did a double take when Loki placed the child by his chest and it started breastfeeding. “Loki?” He hadn't thought anything of Loki's chest being more feminine, a lot of things were different about Loki's appearance.

“Yes?”

“Is that normal for...”

“Frost Giants?” Loki finished when Thor faltered, wicked grin in place. “Not entirely, but they do not consider it wrong.”

“You always did place others before yourself,” he said instead of making a rude comment. It was a very Loki thing to do, to care nothing for the sacrifice and only think about how to save the day.

“No insults?” Loki mock-pouted.

Thor shook his head. “You are my brother.”

“Lovely sentiment, but you will never be a son of mine,” Laufey muttered.

“For which I am grateful,” Thor shot back. Loki might be happy among his own kin, but Thor still had trouble accepting that Frost Giants were not monsters.

“Would it really be that bad?” Loki asked Laufey.

“If I had allowed for such an unnatural offspring my mother would rise from her grave and rip my innards out before feeding them to me,” Laufey lamented. He waved a hand in Thor's direction to make his point.

“She sounds very sympathetic,” Thor said.

“The former Queen was anything but,” Laufey said. “When she grew weak and old she made my siblings and myself fight to the death for the honor of replacing her. She cooked and ate the dead. I cannot say I wanted the throne more than they did, but I wanted to live. My people called me benevolent simply because I did not torture them for no reason.”

“And your father?” Thor asked, curious.

“Dead, and not important. Traditionally men have had little interest in politics. My mother had many men to entertain her, none lived long.”

Loki hummed softly, his eyes locked on the suckling babe.

“We will never have to kill each other, right?” Byleist asked.

“No,” Farbauti assured. “I am not Ice.”

“I always heard a sorcerer took the throne after Ice,” Thor said.

Loki snickered. That never boded well. “You heard correctly.”

“It is customary for a new ruler to changer their name,” Laufey said. “It marks a new beginning, a new role in life. Nal was the son of Ice.”

Thor pieced the information together, and he was not overly fond of the picture it made. Though, with how powerful Loki's magic was it made sense for both his parents to have the gift as well. Other sorcerers had always claimed Loki was matched by only a few in raw power.

“Where is Helblindi?” Thor asked.

“Pretending to be me,” Laufey drawled.

Alflyse held her hands out expectantly to Loki when the babe was done feeding. Skadi was passed to Thor's new wife and she cooed over the little Jotun babe. She looked very much like any other babe, just blue.

“You carve those lines into the skin of someone so young?” Thor asked.

“Magic,” Loki quickly said. “It's magic Thor.” He held his arm out and Thor touched one of the lines. They were indeed not scars.

Loki then went to sit on Laufey's lap while Alflyse handed the youngest child to Farbauti.

“So, kitten, tell me,” Laufey needled, arms around Loki, “when am I going to get to watch?”

“Is it really such an interesting thing to watch Helblindi fuck me?”

“I remember that you can make such pretty noises,” Laufey said, stroking up and down Loki's thigh.

Thor nearly gagged. “Have you no shame?”

“There is no shame in fucking the willing,” Laufey said.

“There's a running joke in the army,” Alflyse said with a smirk, “that everyone wants to be stationed in Jotunheim because the locals will shelter, feed and fuck anyone who is friendly enough.”

“Mm. During the civil war I could not set foot here without having little elflings clinging to me,” Laufey said. “I used to bring scores back home with me, no idea how there were even any left here. Then when the war was over most of them went back.”

 

 


	10. War

When he returned to Asgard from Svartalfheim, Odin could not help but be pleased. Alflyse was a good match for Thor. He would get a throne even though it was not in Asgard. The constant advocating for the Jotuns was not only ill timed, it was entirely unwelcome. It was better this way, better to start over with a child who would not show sympathy where it was never needed.

He had sent the nobles and their entourages back first so that he and Frigga could travel back alone. As much as he missed Loki he realized the boy had made his choice and stood with his birth parents. A pity since they could have used his work ethic now that Thor was gone.

“There has been a breach while you were away, My King, we know not who,” Heimdall spoke as soon as the Bifrost closed. “We discovered it too late.”

“Is anyone hurt?”

“No, but everything in the Weapons Vault is gone. The guards stationed there were affected by a sleep spell. Traces led to Alfheim, but I have been unable to find anyone trustworthy to investigate.”

“ _Everything_?” Frigga asked in shock.

Indeed Odin was gobsmacked as well. His first thought went to Jotunheim, but the Frost Giants had little use for most of the trinkets hidden away. If they had come for anything while he was away and Asgard was vulnerable, it would have been the Casket. They had never shown much interest in using weapons.

Heimdall nodded grimly. “There is a problem in the gardens as well. The Golden Trees are dying according to Idunn.”

“Dying,” Frigga repeated sadly. “I will go there to see what can be done.”

“We will find out who did this, and they will be dealt with.”

“They were hidden even from my gaze,” Heimdall said. “We may not find them.”

“That only narrows the list down,” Frigga said. “We know the Jotun Queen and Loki both have that skill.”

“Loki was at Thor's wedding,” Odin objected. “We both saw him with Helblindi.”

“My liege,” Heimdall spoke up, “that was in fact his younger brother, Byleist. Neither the Queen nor Loki were present. Beyond that I cannot say where they were, it is possible they were on Jotunheim.”

“I doubt it. Send word to our warriors. We will go to war against Jotunheim once more.”

If it is war the Jotun dogs want, then war is what Odin will give them. Svartalfheim would stand with him, or fall a second time. He was secure in the strength of his golden army, confident in his ability to lead. Since Bor defeated the Dark Elves no one has defeated Asgard in battle.

Laufey would learn his lesson.

 

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Nothing - The Second Rise Of Svartalfheim](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9251759) by [LiinHaglund](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiinHaglund/pseuds/LiinHaglund)




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